‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ Bids Farewell to the Crawleys in a New Era of Change & Challenge

“It’s hard to accept that it’s time to go.”

The Crawley family and their staff bid adieu to their longtime fans in a final farewell with the feature film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which takes the regal clan into the 1930s. Once again, the family faces the threat of financial ruin as a new era of social change and uncertainty looms, forcing them to adapt or risk losing everything they hold dear.

Here is everything you need to know about Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, from the release date to the cast and more.

When does Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale premiere?

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale opens in theaters September 12.

What is Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale about?

The film follows the Crawley family into the 1930s after Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) has seemingly divorced her second husband, Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode, who is no longer with the franchise). The scandal of her divorce has caused her to be ostracized from society and the Crawley name to be tarnished. Along with financial woes, it appears that the family and their precious Downton Abbey are in serious peril.

Who stars in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale?

Much of the original cast is returning. The main family includes Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Talbot, Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham, Laura Carmichael as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham, Allen Leech as Tom Branson, and Penelope Wilton as Isobel Grey.

Returning downstairs staff includes Jim Carter as Charles Carson, Brendan Coyle as John Bates, Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates, Lesley Nicol as Beryl Patmore, Sophie McShera as Daisy Parker, Kevin Doyle as Joseph Molesley, and Michael Fox as Andy Parker.

Also returning from the series are Paul Giamatti as Harold Levinson, Cora’s estranged brother from America; Robert James-Collier as Thomas Barrow, who previously left for America for a new job and a secret relationship; and Dominic West as Guy Dexter, a famous screen actor and employer/friend of Mr. Barrow.

Also confirmed for the film are Joely Richardson, Imelda Staunton, Simon Russell Beale, and Alessandro Nivola.

Is there a Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale trailer?

Indeed. In the trailer, Lord Grantham speaks of the future of Downton Abbey, which is now in Mary’s hands. The scene then cuts to Lady Mary in a stunning era-appropriate red gown as she enters a high-society event while photographers clamour to take her picture, only for her to be expelled from the gala due to her status as a divorced woman. Her new status casts doubt on both the family and their standing, as newspaper headlines and voice-over speculation question her ability to run Downton.

You can watch the trailer above.

Focus Features

What was the Downton Abbey television series about?

The original television series was set between 1912 and 1926 and followed the Crawley family, an aristocratic clan who lost their heirs in the sinking of the Titanic. The need to find a new heir led them to distant cousin Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), sparking a will-they-won’t-they romance between Mary and Matthew, a storyline further complicated by sister Edith’s scheming, financial troubles, and turmoil with the downstairs staff. There was also the runaway marriage of middle child Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) to chauffeur Tom Branson, which ended in heartbreak when she died in childbirth.

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Subsequent seasons brought unexpected deaths, new romances, legal entanglements, and the occasional uproar caused by a visiting royal.

What was Downton Abbey (2019) about?

The first feature film centered on the impending visit of King George V and Queen Mary as part of a royal tour, with the household scrambling to prepare.

What was Downton Abbey: A New Era about?

The 2022 feature film followed dual storylines: one tracked half of the household as they traveled to the south of France after the Dowager Countess, Violet Crawley (the late, great Maggie Smith), was left a villa by a mysterious man from her past, while the other narrative focused on those who stayed behind to oversee the making of a film at Downton Abbey.

Who is behind Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale?

The film is directed by Simon Curtis and written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, In Theaters, September 12

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